


Let Him Know

by Headphone_Love



Series: Moth to A Flame [3]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Dating, Hinata is excited, M/M, Misunderstandings, Oh Dear, OiHina - Freeform, Oikawa is concerned, Volleyball Dorks in Love, Why does everything I write with this couple turn out so long, but not really, just relationship probs, omg, slight angst, three parter, you know the drill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-01
Updated: 2017-06-02
Packaged: 2018-11-07 12:43:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11059227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Headphone_Love/pseuds/Headphone_Love
Summary: Hinata and Oikawa have been dating for almost a year.Oikawa tries to be a better boyfriend while Hinata tries to hide a surprise.Iwaizumi and Kageyama are along for the ride...again.





	1. My Boyfriend Tooru

* * *

  **Hinata**

* * *

 

Hinata’s eyes shined as he held the envelope in his hand, breath halted for the big moment. This was it: the moment of truth. It was the reason he had been studying and training even harder than usual for over a year.

“What college did you get accepted to?”

“I can’t believe that you got into all of those schools!”

“Aw, I didn’t get into this one!”

Hinata ignored the chatter of his classmates and slowly opened the letter. His heart was racing in his chest the longer he waited. The process of unfolding the letter was enough to nearly kill him, but once he did, his eyes skimmed the paper carefully. He mouthed the words silently, expression serious as he processed the words.

“Hinata, you are so quiet today! Did you ge—”

“ALRIGHT!” the ginger exploded as he stood from his desk, cheeks flushed with excitement. He held the paper in the air, breathing out in relief. When had he started to hold his breath to begin with?

“—t into your school?” the student asked as they backed away slowly, leaving the middle blocker to his moment.

Hinata looked at the letter one final time, the smile on his face a signal to anyone that he had, in fact, gotten into the school of his choosing.

Now he just needed to make sure Oikawa didn’t find out just yet.

* * *

 Iwaizumi

* * *

“Yahoo, Iwa-chan~”

Iwaizumi sucked in a breath, turning over his shoulder and glaring at his roommate. “What did I say about sneaking up on me while I am doing an experiment?” he snapped, Oikawa holding his hands out in front of him and smiling sheepishly. His friend really had the memory of a gnat.

“On the bright side, I didn’t make you drop it all over yourself like last time.”

The shorter male sighed and placed the test tubes down carefully, removing his goggles and turning around. Oikawa blinked expectantly, though Iwaizumi continued to stand without a word. After a few minutes of waiting, Iwaizumi let out a deep breath and smacked the other in the arm with his goggles. The male winced, raising his arm to hold the abused area.

“What was that for?” Oikawa asked with a pout.

Iwaizumi wanted nothing but to hit him again but sucked in a deep breath instead.

Patience.

“You're asking that after coming into my makeup lab because of something you did during the actual lab?” Iwaizumi asked as he felt his eye twitch. Oikawa tilted his head, a hand on his hip as he thought about it.

“Oh!” Oikawa snapped his fingers at the memory. He frowned and waved a hand to dismiss it. “Hey, I wasn’t the one who spilled nucleic acid all over you and your partner that time! She was the one who got scared and dropped it all.”

“ _Nitric_ acid” Iwaizumi corrected as he rubbed his temples. “Nucleic acids are classified as large biomolecules that are necessary for human life and an example of it would be DNA and RN—”

Oikawa stuck his tongue out and made an “X” with his arms. He let them drop and ruffled Iwaizumi’s hair, the shorter male losing his patience the longer his friend was in the room. “You're the one taking the science lab, Iwa-chan. I won’t ever need any of that when I become a volleyball player.”

“But you’ll need me for your PT when you fuck up again, so I do need pass this class,” Iwaizumi reminded as the setter hummed in agreement.

“You have a good point, though I still don’t understand why this is a requirement for you…”

Iwaizumi gave up and sighed, placing his goggles against his table. “Whatever. Go on about what you wanted to tell me about," he said as Oikawa grinned.

“I was gonna ask Chibi-chan to come by this weekend so I was wondering if you wanted to—”

“Can’t,” Iwaizumi said instantly, causing the taller male to cross his arms.

“You didn’t even let me finish!”

Iwaizumi gave an unimpressed look at the other’s whining, turning back to his experiment. He slipped the goggles back on and picked up the test tubes.

“I'm going home this weekend to watch my sister’s pets. Just hang out with him in the dorm or something,” he suggested as Oikawa blinked, tilting his head. As he began his experiment again, he heard Oikawa shifting, taking a moment until he spoke.

“Just us?” Oikawa murmured as if it was not something he had thought about.

“Just you and your _boyfriend_ ” Iwaizumi encouraged as he looked over his shoulder to see Oikawa looking at him like he had spoken another language. “You haven’t actually hung out together on campus yet, have you?”

Oikawa’s face changed, eyes looking toward the window as he rubbed his neck. "Uh..we actually haven’t...hung out alone since the day that he was at my house,” he admitted. If the blush wasn’t enough to show how shy he was around Hinata, Iwaizumi would have figured it out by the way his friend avoided his eyes.

“You're joking, right? You have been dating for practically year and you haven’t ever been alone together?”

“We have...just...usually though video and stuff,” Oikawa said. Their schedules were pretty opposite now that Oikawa thought about it. Hinata had his third year to think about both in the sense of academics and sports, while Oikawa had his whole university life to maintain.

“I would try to think of a time you have hung out alone—because I'm sure there is—but I order you to invite him to campus this weekend. It’ll be good for you two to have a proper date,” Iwaizumi ordered. This was a lot more serious than he had expected. He knew that Oikawa was a volleyball idiot, but this was extreme even for him. He placed the test tubes down and sighed.

His experiment could wait, he guessed.

“But—!” Oikawa protested until Iwaizumi’s eyes tore into him.

“But?” Iwaizumi scowled, slamming a hand on the lab table. “You need to pay more attention to your boyfriend, Shittykawa. Do you want this to end up like Yuri all over again?”

Oikawa paled, all signs of comedy from the situation leaving at that moment. Iwaizumi slowly sat back down, clearing his throat. He hadn’t meant to lose his temper, but the setter needed a reality check sometimes. He understood his friend’s point of view—he truly did—but it was a different ballpark now. They weren’t high school students anymore: no more playing around with people’s emotions. If Oikawa liked the shrimp, he needed to make it known or else...

“Sorry,” Iwaizumi spoke with a shake of his head. “But…”

“It’s fine,” Oikawa mumbled. “Hinata and I actually went over that already. Doesn’t hurt anymore,” he assured. “And...I know. I know this is different. I just can’t picture chibi-chan leaving for the reasons that she did. He made a pretty convincing argument that I still remember,” he said with a grin. “He said she wasn’t right for me and all that...and after that, I started to believe him. I have been with Hinata for a while and he never once complained about me not being with him,” he admitted.

“That is because he is as big an idiot as you are when it comes to relationships. You guys still think volleyball is a date.”

“Is it not?” Oikawa asked in confusion.

“It is not.”

“But then how do you plan a date?

Iwaizumi waved a hand, not wanting to get into that topic now. He ran a hand through his hair and rolled his neck. His friend was clueless sometimes.

“Just ask him out on a date on campus. Show him around, get him some food, maybe even watch a movie in the room if you want to start off simple. The little string bean is one of the least needy people when it comes to materialistic things. Just ask Kageyama.” he reminded.

Oikawa cleared his throat, leaning forward. Iwaizumi didn’t understand why: even if his friend screamed out what he wanted to ask, no one would hear. No one was around at this time, usually.

“I just have one more question…” Oikawa promised, holding up a finger while his other hand held his wrist.

“Fine. One more. Go”

“Why isn’t volleyball counted as a date?”

“Get out.”

* * *

_Oikawa_

* * *

“Food,” Oikawa muttered quietly. That was the only other piece of advice that he had gotten from Iwaizumi before getting kicked out of the lab so he could finish his work.

_Just get some damn food and eat it together, Shittykawa!_

The second-year university student was hunched over in his chair as he searched the internet for any kind of assistance. Planning a date couldn’t be that hard, but Oikawa needed it to go well. It would be his first official one with Hinata which was motivation enough. He clicked on several links, only stopping once he had more than just a few tabs open.

He opened one more just in case. “When trying to impress your partner you want to take into consideration their interests and hobbies..” he read aloud, thumb flicking against his front teeth as he thought about it.

Hinata liked food, so he was on the right track.

Wait, wasn’t that too general?

A date couldn’t be only about food...right?

What else did he like?

Oikawa’s eyes lit up as he thought about it.

Volleyball, of course. That was why he and Hinata could relate so much to each other. The sport was their lives.

But...volleyball wasn’t a date. Even the websites mentioned how a date should be something that isn’t usually done. It should be new or a treat.

He nodded and continued scouring the websites, taking notes on a mini notepad quietly. He pushed his glasses up to rub his eyes, letting out a tired breath. While he wanted nothing more than to crash into his bed and fall asleep, he knew that if he planned this now that he would definitely be able to invite Hinata over to stay for the weekend. It had been a while since they had gotten a chance to see each other, so Oikawa couldn’t help but feel a bit hyped about the thought.

The sound of his computer ringing out scared the life out of him as he placed a hand on his heart. It was, of course, a notification.

He opened it and smiled a bit at the name on his screen.

(10:35) <3 Chibi: Kawa-Kun, are you still up?

He grinned, swearing that he and Hinata shared some type of signal. He took a moment to wonder how he should answer. Should he tease the other? Or should he answer honestly?

(10:37) Oikawa:  I’m up. Why are you, Chibi-chan?

(10:38) <3 Chibi: I couldn’t sleep~

Oikawa had to stop an inhuman sound from leaving his lips. Hinata was too cute for words sometimes, though he was sure that if Iwaizumi or Tobio saw that message they would have cringed. Hinata might not act it often around others, but it was one thing that Oikawa loved about him. He had learned about Oikawa’s cute obsession and used it against him.

He was clever, that was something he couldn’t deny.

(10:40) Oikawa: And why is that?

(10:41) <3 Chibi: I didn’t get to talk to you yet today. How can I sleep without talking to you at least once?

A flush formed on the setters cheeks. He leaned his cheek against his palm to cool them, goofy smile on his lips. Hinata really did know how to play him like a fiddle, not that he minded.

(10:42) Oikawa: How cheesy, chibi-chan ;)

(10:43) <3 Chibi: You eat it up though, don’t you? \\(^.^)/

(10:43) Oikawa: I do, though if you wanted to talk to me why not call? You know I’d always answer for you

The three dots signaling that he was typing continued to appear and disappear for a few moments until Hinata responded.

(10:44) <3 Chibi: It was late

(10:44) Oikawa: We have spoken later than this, Hinata. Real reason?

He waited, biting his lip. Hinata knew very well that they had pulled all-nighters together both on the phone and video chat. The excuse was thin, and Oikawa wanted Hinata to be honest. He watched the little dots until the familiar notification sound went off.

(10:46) <3 Chibi: If I called I would want you here.

His eyes softened. He really had been neglecting boyfriend duties. He hadn’t meant to, but it was a bit harder to manage when Hinata lived over an hour and some change away from him. If he was at home he could have easily been with Hinata right now, but dorming tends to be the issue.

(10:48) Oikawa: Come to stay the weekend. Iwaizumi is going home and I want to see you.

Quick, simple, blunt and completely honest.

He chewed on his lower lip, awaiting the response. It took much longer than usual, the familiar butterflies fluttering around in Oikawa’s stomach.

(10:55) <3 Chibi: Thank you, Kawa-kun \\(^O^)/. I’ll start packing tomorrow.

(10:56) Oikawa: Good, but for now get some rest.

(10:57) <3 Chibi: I will~<3\. Good night, Oikawa-kun

Oikawa didn’t respond, admiring the message as he let out a breath. He shut his laptop, deciding to try and get some rest himself. He tried not to be a hypocrite, especially as someone who used to be a captain that people depended on.

The door slammed open as he turned, eyes wide as Iwaizumi shut it behind him. His bag was being dragged behind him, eyes practically closed.

“Iwa-chan?”

The male seemed to straighten at the name and turned, his gaze sending shivers down Oikawa’s spine.

“Go. To. Sleep” Iwaizumi said as he plopped onto his bed. He was out in seconds, Oikawa snickering under his breath.

“I told you not to take those extra shifts,” Oikawa said in a sing-song tone, though he helped the other at least remove his shoes and get beneath his blanket. He moved to the lights, flicking them off and lying down. The orange fox on his bed helped him get to sleep quickly, the setter imagining that it was the bright ball of sunshine he called his boyfriend.

* * *

  **Hinata**

* * *

He was shaking with excitement. He had just reached campus after taking the bus, and it was a lot larger than he had expected. There were people all over, casually walking around and making small talk with each other. It was definitely different than high school.

Hinata pulled out his phone, dialing Oikawa’s number and pressing it to his ear as he walked around. Might as well try to blend in since he would be a student here starting next year.

_“Yahoo~? I was just about to head out to meet you, sweets.”_

Hinata grinned at the name and looked around.“Oh? That would have been kind of awkward,” he hummed. What dorm did Oikawa say he lived in again?

_“Why is that? Did something come up? Can you not come?”_

Hinata snickered. His boyfriend was such a worrywart sometimes, though he was awfully cute while doing it. Instead of answering, Hinata chewed on his lip. “Hey, have the dorms always been this large?” he questioned, looking for the dorm that looked most similar to what Oikawa had described. They all looked so similar though, so he knew he would probably have to end up asking him where he was.

 _“Hm, not always, they did renovate a bit since last year but…”_ a pause. _“Chibi-chan, are you on campus already?”_

His tone made Hinata’s heart race in his chest, throat growing a bit dry. Oikawa’s soft voice never failed in making his knees weak. It was usually filled with so much hope that Hinata swore he would give him anything he asked for to make sure it never left.

“I might be,” Hinata said with a smile. “Though if I am not it would be awkward considering that I am walking around like I go here.”

Shuffling could be heard on the other line.

_“What do you see?”_

“Well, I see a few dorms, a huge road…” Hinata began, stopping as he looked around. “I think I am at the front of campus still, so if you see me then that’d be great,” he said with a laugh. Oikawa had gone silent, though Hinata waited a few minutes knowing he was probably looking for him. "Oikawa-kun? You still there?" he asked until he felt arms wrap around him. He gasped and looked over his shoulder seeing nothing but brown hair.

“Tooru, you scared the crap out of me!” Hinata whispered as he placed a hand over his heart. He could feel Oikawa’s chuckle against his ear, swallowing hard.

“But Shou, you were so cute and it was such a prime opportunity,” Oikawa murmured, pecking his cheek. Hinata smiled and turned to return the kiss to his boyfriend’s cheek.

“I want food,” he said with a grin, Oikawa laughing softly against his neck.

“Fine, let us get some food for the cranky Queen, sound good?”

Hinata nodded, holding out his duffle bag to Oikawa to carry. The setter took it without complaint, surprised when the shorter male laced his fingers with his own.

“What, you didn’t think I was gonna make you a lackey for no reason, did you?” Hinata teased, bringing the hand to his lips and kissing it gently.

Oikawa felt the familiar pinching in his heart, dropping the bag and wrapping his arms around Hinata. The ginger laughed, a blush coming to his cheeks as people passing by watched and whispered. He raised a hand to Oikawa’s hair, softly ruffling the locks.

He’d take all of his boyfriend’s affections, any day...even if that meant being slightly embarrassed in public.

* * *

 Kageyama

* * *

 “Why not just tell him and get it over with?”

The setter was on his back as he tossed a ball into the air. Hinata had video-called him for some reason, though it wasn’t as if Kageyama minded. It was weird not having the shrimp around to annoy him whenever he went places.

_“Because, Bakageyma, this isn’t just something you spring onto someone!”_

Kageyama rolled his eyes and stopped setting for a moment to sit up and look at the computer screen. He was about to make a comment until he noticed Hinata’s serious expression. It was one that he had become acquainted with well, though it was one of the first times he had seen it in a situation other than volleyball.

“Just be honest, Hinata,” Kageyama said calmly. “If you are, I'm sure he would be ecstatic. If you keep a secret, don’t you think he might notice something is up? You're a shit liar.”

Hinata perked up about to respond but then sighed. Knowing he won that argument, Kageyama moved to return to his previous position.

“Besides, why are you trying to hide that you got accepted to his school anyway? You've been dying for half the year trying to get a sports scholarship there.”

Hinata shifted and rubbed his neck. Kageyama could see he was fiddling with the chain, though he couldn’t make out the rest of it.

 _“I want it to be a surprise. He has been a bit antsy about it ever since knowing that I would be applying to places. He kept reassuring me that I didn’t need to come here, but whenever he did he would look…”_ he trailed off, eyes softening.  _“I just want to make sure I don’t just spring it on him. It is a huge move for both of us! What if he…”_

“Is completely excited and basically wants you to move in immediately? How tragic.”

Hinata’s fuzzy computer screen expression was just as pointed as his real one, amusing Kageyama to no end.

“Look. Just tell him now. If you wait until graduation, then you might end up killing him. Do you want a dead boyfriend?”

_“Since when have you gotten so good at dating advice, Bakageyama?”_

“Since my best friend was dying and I wasn’t sure how to help. You're welcome.”

Hinata grinned, making a heart with his fingers.  _“You do have a heart. Love you too~”_

Kageyama made a face, resulting in Hinata’s laughter ringing out of his speakers.

_“Thanks. I’ll think about how to tell him soon. I owe you one, Yamayama.”_

“Just come back ready to work on our quicks. This might be the last year we work together until the Olympics,” he said simply as Hinata grinned.

_“So you would want to set for me again even if that meant Oikawa was on the team?”_

Kageyama squeezed his volleyball in his hands, cringing at the thought of being on a team with the fellow setter again.

“I won’t turn down the Olympics for a grudge,” he decided on as Hinata clapped his hands.

_“Alright, I’ll hold you to that. Later Kageyama.”_

The setter waved, the screen going blank as he shut the laptop and laid back. He stared at the ceiling, smirking to himself.

Maybe being on the same team as Oikawa wouldn’t be so bad.

It would be the rematch he had been betting on from the start.

* * *

  _Oikawa_

* * *

“Movies?” Hinata asked curiously, looking at the various types laid out across the desk.

“Yeah, I was thinking tonight we could stay in and watch some. Something different,” he said with a smile. Hinata crossed his arms and smiled in return.

“You and different don’t really make sense. What is up?” Hinata asked, Oikawa clearing his throat and flushing red.

“I just thought that it would be nice. You mentioned how you wanted to see some movies but never had the time,” he pointed out, the younger male humming in appreciation.

“True...though you hate movies, Kawa-kun,” he retorted with a laugh. “As sweet as it is that you thought of me, I really want to do something we both enjoy…” he said as he took Oikawa’s hand. “So let’s think of something together, okay?”

Oikawa rubbed his neck with his free hand, unsure of if he should take Hinata up on the offer. He wanted his boyfriend to be the center of attention for the night, though he had turned it back on him again. When had he been so good at doing that? “We can wander campus if you’d like?”

Hinata’s eyes shined. He nodded and leaned up to peck Oikawa’s cheek. “Let me just get my shoes on,” he said as he left Oikawa’s room to get his shoes. Oikawa relaxed and sighed.

Plan one was a failure, though at least he and Hinata would be doing something together.

* * *

“That is the gym. It was donated to us by some of the older volleyball players who went pro.” Oikawa explained. Hinata’s eyes grew wide with excitement.

“That is so cool! Can we go in?” he asked, tugging at Oikawa’s sleeve and pulling him in without waiting for a response. The setter chuckled, allowing himself to be pulled. The gym was like his home away from home half the time anyway considering he had practice there during the day and sometimes at night. When they were inside, Hinata couldn’t contain his awe, staring around with his mouth open wide. “Woah,” he muttered, practically shaking.

Oikawa took in a deep breath and nodded. “Yeah, it is always overwhelming at first,” he said with a chuckle.

“You practice here?”

Oikawa nodded. “All day every day, which at first sounds great until you realize they train you a lot differently here than in high school,” he said honestly. “But you adjust fast as long as you don’t slack. Scholarships are on the line.”

Hinata jumped up onto Oikawa’s back, hugging him tightly. “Can we play?”

Oikawa looked over his shoulder to the ginger, chewing his lip in hesitation. Iwaizumi had specified no volleyball, but how could he say no to Hinata?

“Sure.”

Oikawa had once said he was weak. If he was weak back then, he was practically powerless now.

Setting up everything was done in a matter of minutes due to Hinata’s running around. Oikawa had never actually played with Hinata, now that he thought about it. He wondered whether his boyfriend was like this at all practices, or just because this gym was huge.

“What would you like to do first?”

“Toss!” Hinata said, making a setter motion and causing Oikawa to snicker behind his hand.

“It is a good thing you're a spiker, chibi-chan. That set was awful.”

“Middle blocker!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Oikawa said waving his hand as Hinata pouted. The brunette grabbed a ball from the supply closet and bounced it against the ground a few times. “Ready?”

Hinata nodded, tongue darting across his lips as he concentrated. Oikawa served it gently, Hinata receiving it easily. Once it was returned, Oikawa positioned himself, surprised when Hinata was already in mid-jump. He had almost forgotten to set until his hands did it automatically.  Hinata barely hit it, though it still made the satisfying slam against the other side of the court.

His heart was pounding, wondering how even when he sent a completely underwhelming serve Hinata was able to hit it with ease. The guy was truly more of a monster than he remembered. 

“Sorry about that,” Oikawa blurted, Hinata giving him a look of confusion.

“Are you joking? That was awesome!” The ginger said with his hands in the air. “Seriously, Grand King suits you well! You looked so concentrated and then it was right there!”

“It was off. I wasn’t ready,” he muttered awkwardly.

“It was a bit off. " Hinata admitted. "And yet I still hit it, didn’t I?” he added with a tilt of his head. “Besides, I’ll take any toss I am given. Off or not,” he promised. "Beggers can't be choosers when they are in the air, Oikawa-kun. You either hit or give the point to the other team."

Oikawa blinked at the declaration. Was that what he had been doing at Karasuno for all those years? Just jumping and hoping for the best?

His boyfriend had truly been sharpening his knives and he had been clueless about it. He needed to try and make it up to Hinata. 

Dating was difficult. 

“Another toss!" Hinata paused, turning a bit red in the face. "..uh..please,” Hinata said sheepishly, already running back to the starting position. He got ready, eyes set on Oikawa in a way that made the

He got ready, eyes set on Oikawa in a way that made the setter _need_ this set to go well. Hinata nodded in encouragement, holding up his hands to offer a thumbs up. "Just pretend we are in a game," he said with a smile. 

Oikawa spun the ball in his hands. He would be the one who controlled the ball this time, he decided. In a game, the setter made sure the ball went where it was supposed to. How was it that chibi was able to pull someone in, though? Was that what had always happened to Tobio during the games? 

They repeated the process as they had with the first spike, though the ball was at the net before Oikawa even saw Hinata’s motions. Lucky for him, Hinata was fast enough to slam his palm into it. On the way down, the setter watched his boyfriend with awe. He really did look like he was flying, it even more amazing up close. He never thought he would say it, but he felt a bit of envy towards Tobio for being able to witness it for the last couple of years. Surely his kohai had taken such a sight for granted.

When Hinata’s feet hit the floor, he stared at his hand for a moment, blinking. He looked up at Oikawa, and the setter felt his heart drop. 

Was it bad? Was it off? Did it feel weird that he was setting and not Tob—

“That was so freaking gwah!” he gasped out, running his mouth off a mile a minute. The elder of the two was too busy thinking about how relieved he was that the set had been decent. He had never doubted his skills before considering how hard he had worked to not only gain but maintain them. Once the relief flooded his body, he began to remember how high Hinata had jumped, how fast he had run, and how exhilarating it had been to finally set to him. Setting to his teammates was great as well, but there was something about the way Hinata played that brought the desire to set to him to life.

“Amazing…” he murmured quietly, Hinata’s rambling stopping as his excited flush turned into one of disbelief. He brought a hand to the back of his head and laughed nervously.

“Amazing, huh?” Hinata asked with a grin, glad to take the compliment. 

“Yeah,” Oikawa said as he offered a proud smile.

“Truly.” 


	2. Once a Grand King....

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **“Since when have you been this way?”**
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Oikawa blinked, tilting his head and rubbing the back of his neck. 
> 
> _“What do you mean, chibi?”_
> 
>     
>  **“Since when did you want to avoid talking to me?”**

* * *

**_General_ **

* * *

That night while Oikawa was showering, Hinata pulled out the letter from his bag to look again.

It was so surreal that he would be playing on the team with Oikawa starting the upcoming April. Sure, it was only the second month of the new year now, but he knew it would fly by. While he was a bit scared to leave the team he had known for three years, it was a good kind of scared. The person he would miss the most would, of course, be Bakageyama, only because he was the first setter he had ever had and his best friend. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi were great as well—after a lot of bantering, though—and he was sure that the original first years would never lose contact with each other. Everyone annoyed each other, but Hinata would be damned if any of them lost contact. He’d easily track them down if needed.

He smiled, pressing the letter to his chest as he felt for his heartbeat. The pace was a bit fast, though he felt better after getting those thoughts out. Graduation is probably when it would actually hit him, but that was a few months away. He wanted to enjoy playing volleyball with Karasuno just a little bit longer.

His mind wandered to Kageyama’s words, wondering if he should just go out and tell Oikawa about the letter. It would be easy to do and also provide the setter with some reassurance that they would be playing together. Hinata didn’t want it to be so casual, however. He wanted it to be a special announcement: something out of the blue.

“Chibi-chan, are you alright?”

Hinata’s eyes went wide as he turned, the paper pressed against his chest immediately being shoved into his duffle once he folded it. “I am all good!” he said with a smile, but the elder of the two frowned.

“You sure? You looked a bit serious there. You aren’t keeping secrets are you?” Oikawa teased, ruffling his hair with his towel.

Hinata laughed nervously, waving his hands.“Ridiculous. Why would I hide anything from you?” he asked with a raised brow. Oikawa shrugged his shoulders, hanging the wet towel up and moving closer. He pulled Hinata onto his lap, the shorter male gasping at the action.

“You wouldn’t, but that doesn’t mean I won’t ask. Gotta make sure my Shou is alright,” Oikawa murmured, Hinata flushing at the name. It hadn’t been long since they started referring to each other by their first names, but it was definitely taking some getting used to. He leaned back into Oikawa’s hold, it reminding him of the first time he had gone to the other’s house. He hadn’t been in the best state of mind, but that changed a lot for them.

“Oikawa...do you think we still would have started dating had you never found me that day?” he asked curiously. He turned, wrapping his arms around the setter’s neck and placing his legs on either side of the other male’s. “I mean, if anyone else had been there...do you think it would have been the same?”

The setter looked amused at the question. “I think the answer is quite obvious, Shou,” he murmured as he leaned forward to offer the shorter male a kiss. “I told you that you were special. While I don’t think I would have left anyone in the rain like that, I would have never gotten that close to someone unless it was you,” he confessed. “Even before that…” he began, Hinata blinking in surprise. “I had a minor crush on you...I just hadn’t realized. Ever since I saw you playing volleyball during our first match. I thought I was just fascinated at Tobio’s new pawn,” he admitted, earning a slap on the shoulder from the male on his lap. “But then I began watching previous games, and I always focused on you. Always you,” he said with a smile.

“Y-You liked me that far back?” Hinata asked in embarrassment.

Oikawa laughed and nodded, pressing his forehead against Hinata’s. “You were so…” he trailed off, eyebrows scrunching as he tried to find the word that suited his boyfriend. “Captivating,” he decided on. He raised a hand from Hinata’s hip to cup his cheek. It was warm under his touch despite the shower he had taken, and he couldn’t help but chuckle. Even now, Hinata grew so shy with in-depth compliments.

“You are flattering me,” Hinata whined, tightening his grip on his neck and hiding his face in the same area. His heart was pounding in his chest, and he was sure that Oikawa could feel it. “But thank you. I missed you a lot,” he spoke softly.

Oikawa shut his eyes, placing one hand on Hinata’s back, the other on his head. “I missed you too,” he murmured. “So much. Little Hina had to keep me company on the days that I missed you,” he joked, motioning to the fox on his bed.

“You still have this?!” Hinata said, growing excited as the mood instantly changed. Oikawa always admired how quickly that happened with the ball of energy pressed against him.

“Of course. You won it for me” Oikawa said with a chuckle.

“And you won me my lion,” Hinata reminded. “You had to try three times to get it because you were so nervou—”

Oikawa laid back before flipping them over so he was hovering above Hinata. The ginger squeaked, laughter spilling from his lips at the action.

“What? It was the truth!” Hinata said with a grin. “Your hands were _so_ sweaty that the rings kept slipping out of your hand too early!”

Oikawa leaned down, kissing Hinata’s forehead, his eyelids, his cheeks, his nose, etc. Hinata just gasped as he tried to catch his breath from laughing, his hands pinned at the sides of his head.

“No fair~” the younger male whined as he opened his eyes to see Oikawa staring down at him, his hair falling into his face quite nicely. His cheeks were flushed with amusement, lips spread into a wide smile. It was amazing how when Oikawa wasn’t even trying, he still looked amazing. Hinata sucked in a breath and averted his eyes, heart returning to its pounding pace.

“Hinata?”

“Hm?”

“Any reason why you won’t look at me?”

The younger male paused, wiggling his wrists in the other’s grasp.“Because my heart is a bit weak at the moment,” he confessed, swallowing hard. “If I look at you, it might go into ‘GWAH’ overload and I don’t think I am prepared for that,” he joked, but when one of Oikawa’s hands moved to cup his cheek again, he was forced to stare at the college student. He leaned into the touch out of pure habit, chewing on his lower lip.

Oikawa didn’t speak, eyes wandering his boyfriend’s face. It was unsettling, but also incredibly flattering. He had always been a bit self-conscious whenever his boyfriend looked at him so closely. He wasn’t as perfect as him in the slightest: he had freckles, scars, and circles beneath his eyes. Surprisingly enough, Oikawa had none of those things.

“Such a perfect little boyfriend that I have~” he sang softly, leaning down to press another kiss to his lips. Hinata grinned, but returned the kiss, his now free hand moving to rest on top of Oikawa’s. The two remained that way for a while, only pulling away for air until their lips met again. Hinata let out a soft whine when the other bit his lip teasingly, gripping his hand as a warning which only pushed the setter into soft bouts of laughter in between kisses.

“Does someone not like the teasing?” Oikawa whispered, Hinata shuddering at the tone. That was how he was going to play? Hinata gripped the front of his shirt and pulled him down, eyes glittering for a moment.

“I do, I just prefer to be the one doing it,” Hinata replied, letting go of his shirt as his fingers gently brushed against his neck. Oikawa’s shudder was easily visible, eyes closing at the feeling. “Teasing someone who knows our weak points isn’t wise, is it Oikawa-kun?” he asked softly.

“Chi-”

“Sh~,” Hinata said with a wink. “On the court, you may be able to make sense of my attacks,” he began. “But off the court, I think I have a minor upper hand.”

He placed a soft kiss on the other’s pulse, lying back down once he finished his spiel. Oikawa was red in the face, though his eyes were locked onto the male below him.

“Such a monster,” Oikawa whispered before kissing him again, enjoying the feeling of Hinata’s hands in his hair.

Oikawa constantly wished to be the best no matter what he did, though for some reason Hinata had this control over him whenever they were together.

It was maddening.

* * *

  _Oikawa_

* * *

Oikawa shifted, groaning softly. He raised a hand to rub his eyes, glancing around despite his eyes only being half open. At the state of dress he was in, he assumed that it was the reason for his peaceful night’s rest. He made a mental note to himself to never let Iwaizumi know about it. It would just make him uncomfortable, most likely.

He sat up, looking at his bedside table and chuckling when he saw a sticky note.

~In the Shower, I took your key~

He chuckled and ruffled his hair, standing and grabbing a towel to place around his waist. He might as well shower as well despite the one he took last night.

Then again, he should have known better than to shower when Hinata was doing stuff like that even before the shower.

He left the room with some clothes in hand, walking down the hall to the showers. No one would be up this early anyway.

He opened the door quietly, not hearing the shower running. Had Hinata finished already?

He peeked his head in, seeing the ginger at the sink and about to call out to him until he realized the other was rubbing at his eyes furiously.

“Shit,” he heard the other whisper, voice heavy. Was he...crying?

Oikawa sucked in a breath and slowly backed out of the bathroom. Had he done something to upset the other?

The feeling weighed heavily on his chest. He waited by the door for a few minutes until it opened, revealing the ginger in an oversized shirt and some shorts.

“Ah, Oikawa! When you are done wanna go eat?” Hinata asked with a grin, though the red eyes made Oikawa wonder if the smile was sincere.

“Sure, chibi-chan. Just give me ten and we can go get you some food, okay?”

Hinata grinned and nodded, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek. He walked down the hall, and only when he entered the room did Oikawa’s smile fall.

He needed to know what happened to Hinata.

* * *

 Iwaizumi

* * *

 “What are you going on about now?”

Oikawa slumped against the lab table, his expression much less animated than usual. His hair was messier than he had seen in awhile, and he looked as if someone had kicked his puppy or something. “I made him cry.”

“Ha?!” Iwaizumi said with wide eyes. “How the hell did you manage that?” he asked as he turned in his chair and removed his glasses. Oikawa shook his head, but the shorter male snapped his fingers to recapture his attention. “Okay, well did you ask him about it? Maybe it was something else that was happening?”

Oikawa ruffled his hair, letting his hand fall flat against his lap. “I saw him when I went to shower on Saturday morning. He was rubbing his eyes and whispering under his breath. He looked like he was in _pain_ ” he said, slumping down further until his forehead was on the table.

Iwaizumi raised a brow. “And you are sure this is because of you?”

No response.

“Shittykawa, you are even stupider than I thought. And I thought you were pretty stupid,” Iwaizumi said with a chuckle, relaxing in his seat. “You need to talk to him. I am sure you of all people couldn’t make him cry unless you were as narcissistic as you are on the court.”

Oikawa slowly raised his head, the red marking on his forehead already beginning to form. “I just...he was a bit odd the day before too. I walked in and I saw him looking at something. I couldn’t catch a glimpse of it because he put it away pretty quickly, but I wonder if he is hiding something from me.”

Iwaizumi crossed his arms, tilting his head. “Just tell him how you are feeling. What is the worst that could happen?”

Oikawa perked up about to speak until the shorter male raised a hand to stop him.

“Besides the impossible notion that he would break up with you. That kid is head over heels for you.”

Oikawa deflated, looking away. “I just don’t want him to think I am trying to be overly clingy or nosey”

Iwaizumi sighed and placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder. With concerned eyes, Oikawa looked at him, body language showing all signs of a slump. “When has your previous clinginess driven him away? He _loves_ when you get like that. He is just as weird as you are, so you shouldn’t sell his feelings short. You also shouldn’t be keeping these worries of yours to yourself, because that will just make this much bigger than it has to be. Ask shrimpy about it and then come back,”

Oikawa chewed on his lower lip, nodding his head weakly.

“Also, put on a damn scarf or something. Your hickeys are on display and it is gross, Shittykawa” 

* * *

**Hinata**

* * *

Hinata rubbed his neck, letting the sun hit him as he took a break. It wasn’t often that the sun was out considering the weather had been either rainy or snowy. It was still freezing, but Hinata was on cooldown mode and would take any sun he could get. He felt something cold press against the back of his neck and gasped, jumping away and putting his hands up. He relaxed when he saw it was just a bottle of water, courtesy of the other half of the freak duo.

“You seem to be doing well, Mr. bug bite,” Kageyama said with a smirk as Hinata flushed a bit in the face. He laughed at the nickname, taking the water bottle and sitting back down as the setter joined him.

“I tried to cover them but it is kind of difficult. Besides, they have faded pretty well anyway,” Hinata said with a shrug. “Not like anyone would suspect since no one knows Oikawa and I are official except the other third years,” he pointed out. Kageyama chugged his water.

“Yeah, except the first years think we are dating half the time,” he said with a frown. Hinata shivered.

“I can see why, but I think we would kill each other,” Hinata mumbled, Kageyama nodding in agreement. They nagged each other far too much to even think about being anything other than friends.

“So have you told Oikawa about your acceptance letter yet?”

Hinata pouted and shook his head. “I was going to, but I got shampoo in my eyes during my shower and completely forgot about it,” he admitted sheepishly, Kageyama shaking his head.

“Idiot.”

“In my defense,” Hinata started, stopping to take a gulp of water before continuing. “He offered me food after my shower as well, so I was more focused on that,” he said with a sheepish grin.

“You are seriously a black hole,” the setter said with a look of disgust as Hinata leaned closer and poked him in the cheek.

“But you looooooove this black hole”  Hinata teased as Kageyama chuckled and flicked him on the forehead.

“I don’t get paid enough to tolerate you,” he responded, standing and letting Hinata fall over.

The shorter male was about to speak until he looked back, some of the first years whispering and staring. Once Hinata began staring back, they froze up and turned away. The ginger frowned though ignored it. The first years were always a bit odd from what he had noticed, but that might be because they are still warming up to the rest of the team. When it came to volleyball, Hinata was stuck to Kageyama’s side because they were both constantly trying new things. It made sense people would watch them interact.

They weren’t called the freak duo for no reason.

“Anyway, you should tell him soon. The last thing you’d want is for him to get paranoid.”

Hinata returned his attention to Kageyama, the male looking down at him.

“Paranoid? About what?”

Kageyama snorted.

“Anything. You do realize that the Grand King doesn’t think himself so grand...right?”

* * *

The words rang in Hinata’s head as he sat in his room, a deep sigh leaving his lips.

Why wouldn’t Oikawa think of himself as amazing? He was one of the best setters: one of the strongest. He practically had the whole package!

He was handsome, smart, strong, funny, tall…

Hinata bit his lower lip.

Maybe he hadn’t been doing the best job to check in on Oikawa. Hinata wasn’t used to people not just coming out and saying how they felt. Kageyama always yelled at him and was blunt about things, while Tsukishima never held back. Yamaguchi would try to be nicer about it, but there were many times where his captain mode would come out and he would scold Hinata harshly.

Why wouldn’t Oikawa let him know if there was something wrong?

Determination moved through him as he sent the setter a message despite the late time.

Oikawa did say he would always answer.

(2:34) Hinata: Hey, are you free soon? I want to talk to you.

Hinata nodded his head, hands in fists as he cheered himself on.

He would avoid any misunderstandings. He would be direct if Oikawa couldn’t be.

* * *

  _Oikawa_

* * *

“He wants to talk ” Oikawa whispered in horror as he held the phone up. He was shaking, and his friend gave him a look from his bed. Two weeks. That was all that had gone by and yet Hinata had finally gotten the courage to break up with him. He should have been prepared but his heart was, in fact, not even close to prepared.

“Is wanting to talk so bad? You talk all the time, and more from what I can assume” Iwaizumi pointed out. “Just tell him that you are free soon and meet up.”

Oikawa shook his head childishly, leaning forward from his desk. His eyes were wide, concern etched across his face.

“Iwa-chan...what if this is it? He didn’t send any smiley faces or anything!”

With a deep breath, he stood and walked over to his roommate. He grabbed his shoulders, eyes piercing into the setter to try and talk some sense into him. “Hinata loves you. You love Hinata. You did not make him cry, I can guarantee you that. Just talk to him and stop being so scared. Don’t you think that the more you avoid him, the more he will think that you don’t like him the same way anymore?”

Oikawa’s brain seemed to freeze at that possibility, eyes glued to the wall. Could that really happen? He hadn’t given Hinata a reason to think that, right? He loved the kid, for Christ's sake. He would never want him to leave…

He swallowed hard.

“I’ll meet him…” Oikawa decided as Iwaizumi loosened his grip and slapped Oikawa on the back.

“Good. Be strong about this. I'm pretty sure it won’t be anything that you are thinking of.”

* * *

  ** _General_**

* * *

 

Hinata waited nervously, walking back and forth as he swallowed. He held the letter in his hand, a scarf covering his face to protect him from the cold. It was, coincidentally, the scary that Oikawa had gotten him for Christmas. The scarf had his old Aoba Johsai colors and a small number one on the end. It was one of Hinata’s favorite winter accessories, though Kageyama despised when he wore it to school. Hinata understood considering that wearing another school’s colors was in bad taste.

As he continued his pacing, he looked at his phone to check the time. Oikawa was never one to be late, but today it seemed that he was despite saying he wouldn’t be too far from their meeting spot. Hinata moved onto a nearby bench, sitting as he tapped against his knees nervously.

What if Oikawa wasn’t going to be thrilled about him going to the same university anymore?

He groaned and leaned over, pressing his forehead to his hands. Now was not the time to psych himself out. He needed to make sure that he was completely honest. That was the plan.

That had always been the plan and Hinata Shouyou would stick to i—

“Chibi-chan! I am sorry I kept you waiting!”

Hinata shot up, eyes wide as he bit down on his lip. “Oikawa-kun” he greeted, voice sounding a bit shaky even to himself.

“Something wrong?” Oikawa asked with a tilt of a head. He offered his hand to Hinata, the younger male taking it without hesitation.

“Nothing is wrong, though I wanted to talk with you about something. It is really important” he began, though Oikawa just laughed and pulled him close.

“Before that, why don’t we get some food, hm?”

“Oikawa, I really think we should talk about this now…”

“Please? I haven’t eaten yet today because I wanted to eat with you,” the elder said with a pout, squeezing his hand gently. Hinata, deciding that one detour wouldn’t kill him, nodded his head and smiled.

“Alright. Food then talk.”

* * *

 The plan went astray.

Hinata was dragged to not only _three_ cafes, but two different parks on opposite ends of town, and finally the pier. While the being showered in romance was insanely sweet and considerate, he wondered if Oikawa was ever going to settle down and actually talk to him.

“Oikawa.”

The male didn’t look in his direction, pointing out towards the water and grinning.

“So pretty, isn’t it?” he asked, Hinata frowning. He crossed his arms, nodding and looking at it to appease his boyfriend.

“Yes, very. Can we please talk now?”

“About?”

Hinata let out a breath of disbelief. Had he really just asked that? The entire reason behind this meeting had been to talk, and while he didn’t expect Oikawa to know why, he at least expected him to be a bit more sensitive. His chest clenched uncomfortably as he looked down at his feet.

“Since when have you been this way?”

Oikawa blinked, tilting his head and rubbing the back of his neck.

“What do you mean, chibi?”

“Since when did you want to avoid talking to me?”

The elder frowned, shaking his head. “I love talking to you,” he said honestly. Hinata let out a small laugh. He shook his head, curling into himself.

“Then why won’t you? You keep doing all these things and while I don’t mind, you don’t seem to want to listen. Did I do something wrong?”

“Hinata…” he started as the ginger tried to swallow the lump in his throat. The idea of his own boyfriend not wanting to listen to him hurt, though he wasn’t sure why. Maybe because it was Oikawa, who was usually so warm and open to talking about the most random stuff. Today was different, though. It was like Oikawa was avoiding the chance at conversation by shutting him up with food and pretty views. The warm Oikawa he had come to love and get close to seemed to be missing.

It hurt to know his own boyfriend didn’t want to talk with him, especially considering that Hinata had been so excited about telling him the news.

“If you didn’t want to talk, you could have just told me,” Hinata said, chewing on his lower lip as he pulled out the letter from his coat pocket. He shoved it into Oikawa’s chest, avoiding his eyes as he offered a weak smile. “Have a good night,” he whispered, eyes glassy as he turned and ran off.

“Hinata!” he heard Oikawa shout, but he didn’t turn back.

He didn’t want Oikawa to see the tears that slipped out of his eyes without his permission.

* * *

  _Oikawa_

* * *

Oikawa couldn’t sleep that night. In his hands was the letter, but he hadn’t gotten around to opening it. While he was no longer scared about what the letter held, he was concerned about whether Hinata would ever speak to him again.

The scene that had occurred earlier that night was so fucking familiar that it made Oikawa feel like he was being stabbed repeatedly in the chest. With Yuri, he had never felt like this after she broke up with him. He had felt relief after their argument that ended things. She called him all these names and yet he hadn't felt the same pain that he felt now. Hinata hadn't even insulted him or broken up with him...he had just run away. 

The setter wanted to apologize. He hadn’t meant to make Hinata feel like he was being ignored, he had simply wanted to show Hinata that he would do anything for him. By doing all those things, he thought he had been expressing just how much he cared for him, but apparently, he hadn't. The plan had backfired completely. It seems like the harder Oikawa tried to be a good boyfriend, he did worse than usual.

_So help me like you know how to, stupid. It worked last time or else I wouldn’t be here right now._

It was like a splash of cold water, his breath catching in his throat as he sat up. He hadn’t needed to overthink everything. All he needed to do was let things happen the way they were supposed to, and yet he hadn’t allowed that. He had been so focused on his stupid habits that needed everything to go perfectly that he hadn't taken into account his own boyfriend's feelings. 

He had accidentally shunned his own boyfriend and made him feel utterly unwelcome.

He gritted his teeth, shoving his face into his palms. This wasn't a volleyball game: there was no perfect method that he could think up in his head logically. He needed to use his emotion rather than his brain...and that in itself was a feat he wasn't sure he could do. 

With a shake of his head for his stupidity, he opened the letter carefully, eyeing the neat writing of his name on the front.

He pulled out the contents, a picture falling out of him and Hinata from the photo booth at the mall. He sucked in a breath and read the writing on the back of it.

 

~Hi, Hi, My favorite little lion! I have been wanting to tell you this for a while, so please don't freak out!

Read the letter and then let me know what you think, okay?~

 

When he saw the symbol for his university, he raised a brow and skimmed over the letter. His heart dropped, lips parting.

 _Oh,_ he thought to himself, clenching the letter in his hands tightly.

Iwa-chan was right. He was a shitty person.


	3. Letting Them Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Oikawa...are you really going to do this?”
> 
> Said male took a moment, his chuckle echoing in the quiet room. His eyes flashed in a challenging manner.

* * *

**_General_ **

* * *

Hinata sat with his knees pulled to his chest, arms wrapped around them to keep them steady.

“So you gave him the letter and ran off?” Kageyama asked.

Hinata nodded and hid his face in his knees.

“And did he try to stop you?”

Hinata shook his head and held onto himself tighter. “I can’t believe I just ran off,” he groaned, wondering how Oikawa was feeling at the moment. Hinata had tried to reassure the college student all the time that he would let him know if he did something, but in this case, he had run away. It had been too much for the ginger to really process at the time. He had wanted to tell Oikawa the good news, but it was like Oikawa didn’t want to hear it.

Obviously, that wasn’t the case, hence Hinata’s sulking.

“Has he called or reached out at least?”

Hinata shook his head and slumped, letting out a whine. He turned and shoved his face into his pillow, holding it against his face. “I fucked up so bad, Kags. I don’t know what to do” he spoke, voice muffled and almost unintelligible.

Kageyama rolled his eyes and threw a piece of popcorn over at him from his position on the floor. “You don’t do anything,” he said, earning a confused look from his partner in crime.

“I don’t?”

Kageyama shook his head and looked over at his teammate. “You wait for him to call you first. He has the letter. The ball is in his court now. We have to wait and see what he does with it,” he said as Hinata tried to smile, but felt the familiar lump in his throat again.

“I am worried he won’t call,” Hinata admitted, shutting his eyes. Kageyama frowned, shifting closer to hold out a hand to the middle blocker. When he took it, Kageyama gently squeezed in an attempt to comfort.

“Don’t worry,” he murmured. “He’ll definitely contact you first,” he promised as Hinata sniffed, looking at him with glassy orange eyes. The setter felt a slight stinging in his chest, the same feeling he got whenever Hinata’s sister cried when they left for training camps and said she couldn’t come along.

“How do you know that?” his friend asked. Kageyama shrugged, offering the ginger some of the popcorn.

“I just have a hunch,” he said with a nod, already using his free hand to reach for his cellphone.

* * *

Oikawa had his eyes closed, attempting to salvage any amount of sleep before class until the front door to their suite opened. “Ah, Iwa-chan you are back! How was home? Good, I hope?” he called as Iwaizumi burst into the bedroom.

“What the hell did you do, Shittykawa?”

Oikawa shivered at the tone, sighing as he rolled over from his position on his stomach. He eyed his roommate who looked red in the face. “Iwa-chan~ That isn’t any way to greet someone” he teased, though the other wasn’t playing along this time. After the text he had received the day before, he wasn’t in the mood to go along with Oikawa’s weird breakup ritual.

“Oikawa...are you really going to do this?”

Said male took a moment, his chuckle echoing in the quiet room. His eyes flashed in a challenging manner. “Do what? I was sleeping, which if I say so myself is a pretty amazing thing once…”

“You know damn well you weren’t sleeping. I hadn’t believed you when you said you made Hinata cry but you sure managed to fuck that up,” he said, taking a deep breath. Iwaizumi knew getting angry wouldn’t help the situation, though he hadn’t believed his friend could fuck up this badly and still act like nothing happened. “I know you didn’t mean to, but you better think of something before you lose him,” he spoke, Oikawa feeling his hand clench around his pillow. His eyes were dark, yet the humor in his tone remained.

“Lose him?”

“What, you still don’t think that is possible?”

“This was one fight. Hinata wouldn’t leave me after one fight” Oikawa defended, the bite in his tone causing Iwaizumi to form an idea. The former-spiker smirked, shoulders relaxing as he moved to sit on his bed.

“Oh? You really don’t think so?”

“I know he wouldn’t. That isn’t like him at all.”

Oikawa moved to sit up, facing his friend, his lips in a thin line. His face was a bit flushed, hands against his lap.

Iwaizumi continued, knowing he had to push his roommate a little more. “What if he is being comforted right now, though? Something that you did at first right? He is hurting right now, isn’t he?” he questioned, eyes not leaving Oikawa’s narrowing ones.

“Are you implying that he would leave me for the next person who decided to help him? You aren’t giving him enough credit, Iwaizumi,” he retorted, tone gruff.

“I am giving him all the credit.” Iwaizumi insisted and he moved to lean back, hands resting behind his head. “The sooner he realizes that you will always be the Grand King, volleyball obsessed and emotionally unavailable, the less pain he will have to feel in the long run. Who knows, I heard Kageyama had gotten better at helping out the shrimp. Maybe…”

Iwaizumi was startled when he was pulled into a sitting position. Oikawa stood in front of him, one of his hands gripping the front of his shirt. His lips were pressed into a tight-lipped smile as he glared at his friend.

“Don’t talk about him like that,” Oikawa warned, eyes flickering with something that Iwaizumi wasn’t sure he could describe even if he wanted to. “Hinata would _never_ do something like that. I might have fucked up, but that doesn’t mean you can make it sound like Hinata isn’t loyal. He is one of the best people I have ever met, and while you are my best friend I won’t tolerate that” he growled.

Iwaizumi smirked, tilting his head. “So why aren’t you going to make sure he is okay yet, Shittykawa? If he is so damn special, why are you treating him like Yuri? Why don’t you have any faith in him?”

Oikawa’s grip loosened, lips parting as he tried to think of a response. Why was he treating this like his last relationship? He knew that Hinata wasn’t going to break up with him and that he the news was that he had gotten into the same school. It was good, no, great news to hear.

So why was he hesitating?

Oikawa let go and cursed, grabbing his jacket and keys. He left the room, Iwaizumi hearing the door slam and straightening out his shirt. He leaned back again, yawning and deciding to take a nap now that he was alone. Of course, that hadn’t been his reasoning behind wanting Oikawa to go and confront the shrimp, though he considered it his reward.

Pissing off Oikawa was never wise for anyone to do, though Iwaizumi was surprised at how talking down Hinata made him lose his composure so easily.

He chuckled, letting out a breath and beginning to drift off.

His work was done.

* * *

_Oikawa_

* * *

Oikawa got off the bus, the air chilly against his face. He was still processing the fact that he had skipped his last class for the day to come here considering it happened to be a class his coach taught: Sports Management. Ignoring the realization that he would have to run laps until his legs fell off, he walked towards Karasuno, chewing on his lower lip.

The hour had given him a chance to clear his mind and calm down, though he still couldn’t believe that Iwaizumi had said what he did. It was over the line even for him, though he was prepared to forget it for the time being. His focus was Hinata and whether the teen would forgive him.

Once he reached his destination, Oikawa’s eyes scanned the school anxiously.

He heard students chattering as they left the building, walking past them with his hands shoved into his jacket pockets. He shivered once he entered the warmth of the building, feeling stupid for not covering up more. The setter had been warmed by the anger at first, but eventually, even that faded.

As he walked around the high school, he planned out how he would talk to Hinata. At first, he would ask to see his boyfriend alone, then he would begin his apology and avoid excuses. After that…

“Dude you completely missed that one!”

“Shut up and help me get some more water!”

He stopped and followed the two, eyeing the uniforms.Considering the time, he was sure it was Hinata’s teammates that he was looking at. Following them after they got their water, he heard the sound of sneakers squeaking and knew he had been correct in his assumption. He let the two kids enter the gym first, taking a deep breath in as he got closer to the now closed door.

He was so close and yet, at the door, he paused. After a quick mental review, he opened the door slowly as to not draw attention to himself. He looked around and spotted a few familiar people: Glasses and his plus one sitting closest to where he was peeking in. He squinted his eyes when they landed on the door on the opposite end of the gym.

He could see Tobio sitting, back turned to the court as he chugged from his bottle. A moment later, he noticed Hinata bouncing over, sitting beside him and offering a towel. A frown formed on the college student’s face as he opened the door a bit more.

Had Hinata and Tobio always sat so close to each other?

He could see that Hinata was actively chattering away, his arm motions showing he was definitely talking about volleyball. Oikawa stepped forward, eyes narrowing when he saw Kageyama ruffle the ginger’s hair. He could have sworn he heard Iwaizumi’s voice reminding him about how ‘much better’ the fellow setter had gotten at comforting. It made his blood boil.

He opened the door completely, stalking through the gym and towards the third year duo. He heard someone call his name—or his nickname, rather—but ignored it.

Hinata turned at the sound of footsteps, eyes wide as he watched Oikawa get closer. “Grand King?” he started, only to be silenced when the setter leaned down to press his lips to his. Hinata made a sound of surprise, yet didn’t make any action to pull away. After a moment of processing, he raised a hand to rest against Oikawa’s cheek.

When the setter pulled away, he looked towards Tobio, eyes flickering dangerously. The younger male looked like he had been thrown for a loop, eyes wide.

Satisfied by the reaction, he pulled Hinata up by his arm and dragged him out of the gym, the whispers of his boyfriend’s teammates falling on deaf ears.

* * *

**Hinata**

* * *

“Oikawa-san, slow down!” Hinata whined, legs struggling to keep up with the setter’s pace. He yanked his arm away to stop his boyfriend from going any further down the hall, staring up at him in concern. “Tell me what is going on! What was that?!” he shrieked, cheeks red and arms waving in the arm.“My team is totally going to talk about that now and I already had issues with them thinking I was with Bateyama!”

“Don’t,” Oikawa murmured, crossing his arms as Hinata relaxed, head tilting to the side.

“Don’t what?”

“Don’t let anyone think you are dating Tobio. I...don’t like it” he admitted, clearing his throat awkwardly.

“It isn’t like it is true, so why not let the first years have fun? They think Tsukishima and Yamaguchi are dating too.”

“Because I…” Oikawa started, sighing and running a hand through his hair. “I don’t like it when people pair you off. At least not unless it is with me, then it is fine.”

Hinata couldn’t help the slight smile that threatened to appear on his lips.

“Did you come here just to tell me that? Obviously, I would shut down any rumors that were getting out of hand,” he clarified. “Besides, Kageyama and I make jokes about it all the time. We would never date in a million years!”

Hinata stepped closer, grabbing one of Oikawa’s hands and forcing him to uncross his arms. Hinata disliked it when he crossed his arms. The younger male felt that it was too standoffish and it made him feel like he was left out. He laced his fingers with Oikawa’s and looked up again. “I only like one setter” he promised. “Though I am curious to whether the setter still likes me back”

He raised his head carefully to gauge Oikawa's reaction. Hinata was actually quite concerned about whether Oikawa’s feelings had changed due to their argument. He had never dated anyone until the Grand King came around, so it was hard to tell what was a small fight versus large fight. This felt like a large fight to him, but what about to Oikawa?

“Oikawa-san?”

No response.

Hinata pouted but didn’t give up.

“Kawa-kun?”

He saw the corner of Oikawa’s lips twitch. Feeling a bit empowered by the fact that he had gotten _some_ reaction, he cleared his throat.

“Tooru?”

The college student’s expression took a moment until it melted into a smile. Hinata let out a breath of relief.

Oikawa squeezed Hinata’s hand and pulled him closer. “Shouyou” he spoke quietly, catching the attention of the middle blocker in an instant.

“Y-Yes?” Hinata choked out, a chuckle leaving Oikawa at the response.

“Hear me out for a few minutes. No need to be nervous”, he assured, leaning down to rest his forehead against Hinata’s shoulder. Hinata nodded, bringing a hand up to rest on the back of his head.

“Go ahead,” Hinata mumbled.

With a deep breath, Oikawa shut his eyes. “I am sorry for not listening,” he began. “I shouldn’t have tried to prevent it from happening but I was worried because you had been acting weird. You were so serious at certain times and then I saw you crying in the bathroom and I thought I had hurt you and that you were going to break up with me because I hurt you…”

He took a breather, leaning into Hinata’s hand. “I didn’t want you to leave, so I tried to show you a good date, but that ended up backfiring too. It came across as me not wanting to listen, which wasn’t the case at all. I never meant to make you feel like you were being ignored.”

Hinata clicked his tongue, leaning his head against Oikawa’s and tapping him on top of the head. “You really are an idiot,” he mumbled. “First things first, you didn’t make me cry. I was clumsy and didn’t wash the shampoo from my hair correctly and some slipped into my eyes. Second, I would never break up with you without talking to you about something first. I promised you that,” he said quietly, pushing Oikawa away so he could look him in the face. He smiled and placed both his hands on his cheeks. “Third of all, I was so focused on the letter and how to give it to you, that I hadn’t noticed that you were feeling like that. So I want to say I am sorry too, Maybe we are just a pair of volleyball idiots.”

“But-” Oikawa began, Hinata shushing him.

“Both of us were stupid,” he said with a tone of finality. “You should have told me and I shouldn’t have kept a secret. Agreed?”

Oikawa let out a soft breath and smiled, nodding his head as he placed one of his hands over Hinata’s. His boyfriend had gotten a lot more mature without him. The setter felt like he needed to catch up soon. “Agreed. But I also should have had a bit more faith in you.”

Hinata shrugged, moving to wrap his arms around Oikawa’s neck. “You should have. But I fell into that trap too. I was worried you weren’t going to like that I got into the same university,” he admitted, shaking his head with a laugh. “We really suck at this.”

“We aren’t _that_ bad. This is the worst misunderstanding we have had,” Oikawa defended, pressing his forehead to Hinata’s with a smile. “Hopefully, this remains the worst one,” he muttered as Hinata rolled his eyes and pressed his lips to Oikawa’s in a chaste kiss.

“Well as long as you tell me things…” Hinata teased, Oikawa offering a raised brow.

“And as long as you don’t keep secrets from me” Oikawa replied, Hinata rolling his eyes and laughing as Oikawa pulled him in for a quick kiss. “Sealed with a kiss, Chibi-chan~”

“As cute as this is…”

The couple turned to see Kageyama with his arms crossed, Yamaguchi and Tsukishima beside him.

“Practice is still going on. I don’t take lightly to people stealing my team away in the middle of warm-ups,” Yamaguchi said as he crossed his arms in a similar manner to Kageyama. Tsukishima nudged him, a smirk on his lips.

“Hey, he made it a little more interesting today. Plus idiot number two was moping around about it until he came,” he reminded as Hinata turned red, glaring at the blond.

“Traitor!”

“As if we were ever on the same side,” Tsukishima responded with a raised brow as Yamaguchi held up a hand.

“Can we all get back into the gym? The first and second years are getting antsy”

“Sorry, Cap. Five minutes,” Hinata promised, placing his hands together in a begging motion.

The brunette sighed, nodded his head. “Five minutes. You are doing extra runs with Kageyama later,” he said as the duo looked at each other. Neither of them minded, and so with a nod of acceptance, the three first years took their leave to enter the gymnasium again.

Hinata looked up at Oikawa with amusement in his eyes, grabbing his hand and pulling him along.

“Where are we going?”

Hinata didn’t answer, running down the hall as Oikawa followed behind him. They went through the gym —Hinata felt the eyes on them as they did— and exited the building.

“You aren’t wearing a jacket!” Oikawa began, Hinat huffing.

“Don’t be such a worry wart and follow me!” the shorter male responded, moving towards the club room. They moved up the stairs easily, Oikawa shoving Hinata into the room to get him out of the cold first. Hinata didn’t seem bothered in the slightest, moving to his bag and shuffling through it silently.

He pulled out a scarf, moving towards Oikawa and wrapping it around his neck gently. As he was tying it, he pulled Oikawa down to give him a final kiss.

“You were freezing when you first kissed me...I can’t believe you came all the way here without a scarf!” Hinata scolded. “You can’t afford to get sick.”

Oikawa eyed the scarf in surprise, eyes softening.

“You still had this?”

Hinata nodded and looked slightly offended.

“One fight and you think I would get rid of it? It’s _mine_ ,” Hinata stated without any room for argument. “But for right now it is yours because you were a dummy who didn’t wrap up in the cold weather.”

“Aw, were you worried about me?” he asked with a grin as Hinata smacked him in the arm. Oikawa pouted.

“I need to stop letting you hang out with Iwaizumi,” he muttered under his breath as Hinata flashed him a “V” sign.

Once he made sure that Oikawa was ready to brace the cold, Hinata bid him goodbye. He didn’t need Yamaguchi coming to try and find him for going over the five-minute agreement.

“I promise I’ll return the scarf next time we meet,” Oikawa said with his face buried in Hinata’s hair. The shorter male accepted the hug, a soft breath of content leaving his lips.

“I’ll hold you to that,” Hinata said with a wink as he waved and opened the door to the club room. He made a dash for the gym door, swearing he heard Oikawa’s laughter but not completely sure.

What Hinata was sure about, however, was that the first years kept staring, whispers of ‘he is dating him?’ and ‘poor Kageyama’ being uttered several times for the remainder of practice.

“Why am I made out to be the heartbreaker? If anything you’d be the one to break a heart” he accused as Kageyama snorted.

“Not at all. And I don’t get it either. Is it funny to listen to? Sure, but I don’t like the idea of them thinking I was beaten out by Oikawa over a prize I didn’t even want”

“Hey!” Hinata muttered as he shoved the setter. Kageyama shrugged.

“What? It is the truth. You aren’t my type,” he said as Hinata snorted.

“You don’t _have_ a type” he pointed out as the setter paused.

“Touche.”

* * *

**_General_ **

* * *

Hinata clung to Kageyama for dear life. He wasn’t prepared. He wasn’t ready to leave Karasuno when he had been here for so long already.

“If you are going to puke, try not to get it on my jacket, idiot” the taller male warned. He continuously ran a hand through his friend’s hair to keep him calm, wondering where the _hell_ Oikawa and Iwaizumi were. It was almost time for them to walk in graduation and the college students seemed to be running late.

“I don’t feel like puking, I feel like dying,” Hinata moaned, hiding his face in Kageyama’s arm. “We aren’t going to be a team anymore, and that is killing me,” he admitted. “But I am also excited because I am still going to be playing volleyball in college and all, and you guys can’t get rid of me anyway…”

“Exactly, so shut up. We are still going to play together one day. You better not slack in college or else I’ll hunt you down”

Hinata smiled slightly, shoulders shaking as he laughed quietly. Kageyama relaxed, glad that his mid— _former_ middle blocker—was starting to regain some color.

“Such a way with words.”

“I try.”

The two smiled as the intercom made a sound, signaling that someone was about to speak.

_“Would all the graduates please begin to form a single file line according to their homeroom teacher. The ceremony will begin in 10 minutes.”_

Hinata’s color drained immediately as his legs gave out, Kageyama catching him with wide eyes. He had thought that Hinata was joking, though his ‘I feel like dying’ statement looked pretty sincere at the moment.

Where was his friend’s boyfriend when he needed him?

* * *

“I can’t believe that you bought all of that crap,” Iwaizumi muttered.

Oikawa had brought balloons, flowers, and even a freaking sign with Hinata’s name on it. His mother had adored it and pinched Oikawa’s cheek, though Iwaizumi was on the opposite end of the spectrum. “Don’t hate me because I think of great ideas, Iwa-chan” he teased. He turned back to Hinata’s mother and younger sister, amused at the fact that the latter was still waving the sign despite how the ceremony had ended already.

“Is oniisan out yet?” Natsu asked, looking around but not seeing him in the large group of students taking pictures and laughing together. Oikawa shook his head, wondering if the fact that his boyfriend was pale as a ghost had anything to do with him not meeting them yet. If that was the case, Tobio surely would have messaged at least one of them...right?

“There he is!” Natsu shouted, waving frantically to get his attention. “ONIISAN!”

Hearing the voice, Hinata turned and gave a shy smile, waving in return. With a shove from Kageyama, the two moved towards the people waiting for them. It seemed that Kageyama’s mother had found them first, as she was walking with her hands on his shoulders in a proud manner.

“Congratulations!”

Hinata bowed in thanks, hugging his mother and sister. Kageyama’s mother began to take numerous pictures—of everyone and everything—talking to Hinata’s mother about how she would get them developed and send some copies over. As the mothers spoke, Hinata buried himself into Oikawa’s chest, hugging him tightly.

“Chibi-chan? You okay?” he murmured, running a hand along his back as the graduate looked up.

“I thought it would be scary after I graduated, but I feel so relieved,” he mumbled honestly. Oikawa chuckled and nodded. He had thought the same once he had graduated, though college was a whole other ballpark.

High school graduation was one of the most nerve-wracking things he had ever done. Afterward, however, it was nice to look back on.

“I understand that. Though you still have tonight to hang out with everyone before you have to think about packing at least.”

Hinata nodded in agreement, leaning up to peck Oikawa’s cheek. “You’ll help me with that, won’t you?” he asked with a small grin, “We are going to the same university now, after all.”

Oikawa hummed and pretended to debate whether he wanted to. “Maybe...with some convincing,” he replied as Hinata slapped him in the chest, hiding his reddening face in the same area.

“Oi! Are you guys coming or not?” Iwaizumi called with an irritated tone. The couple turned to look at the crowd that had apparently already begun to walk without them. Hinata’s family looked a bit shocked at Iwaizumi’s harsh tone while Kageyama’s mother laughed and pat him on the back. Kageyama smirked at the outburst considering he would have done it if Iwaizumi hadn’t.

“You haven’t changed at all,” the dark-haired woman chuckled, causing the said male to nod his head in agreement.

“Can’t change too much with Sh-Trashykawa living with me” he corrected.

Tsukishima stood with his parents and older brother while Tadashi and his mother chuckled to themselves.

“All the food places are going to be packed, so you kids should go soon if you want to spend your last day as students together.” Hinata’s mother reminded. At this, the parents began to push their children into one big group, Hinata laughing at the expression on Tsukishima and Kageyama’s face.

Even with their own families, they looked so awkward.

“Let’s go, I think my mother is getting weepy” Tsukishima muttered under his breath, Tadashi nodding in agreement. Kageyama and Iwaizumi led the way out of the crowds of students, talking about universities and volleyball as usual.

Oikawa, realizing they should probably follow the others, held out a hand to Hinata. “Ready, Chibi-chan?”

Hinata bit his lip, taking the hand and slowly nodding. “Yeah” he agreed, voice barely above a whisper. Noticing his out of character reply, Oikawa let go of the hand and picked Hinata up bridal style.

“You’ll need to perk up if you want to have a good time!” he teased as he walked through the crowd. Hinata’s face reddened the more that people stared, hands hitting Oikawa’s chest in protest.

“Tooru!”

“What? You should get used to this!” he warned with a flirty smile.

“How else will I let people at the university know that you are mine?”


End file.
